Wednesday, January 09, 2008

It didn't take me very long to lose hope during the 2007 season but for 2008 I'm going to be doing a lot dedicated prep work. Holding the 6th pick in the draft and 26 million dollars in cap room the New York Jets must be aggressive in the free agent market to address some of the current holes on their roster.

The first player I think the Jets should take a significant look at is Tennesee Titans Defensive Tackle unrestricted free agent and bona-fide scumbag Albert Haynesworth. In most cases I would shy away from someone who stomped on another players helmetless head and was suspended for a lengthy period however Haynesworth is an incredible talent and could address arguably the Jets biggest need.

Over the two season tenure of Eric Mangini the Jets have been a well below average rush defense. There have been games where the squad has stepped up and stuffed the run and others where the rush defense was the biggest culprit in losing the game. Last year during the Jets 10-6 season the rush defense was easily the week link. The Jets finished 24th in the league giving up an average of 130 yards per game. The 2007 Jets Rush Defense, like everything else, did not improve. There ranking slipped to 29th in the league averaging 134 yard given up per game.

So what or who is the biggest culprit in the Jets inability to stop the run? In my estimation the biggest problem in both seasons has been the defensive line. When watching an effective run defense often you will find that their front 4 (3 in the Jets case) can get into the backfield or atleast push the offensive line into the backfield pressuring the running back into making a quick decision. The New York Jets do not do this. Whether its DeWayne Robertson, Sean Ellis, Kenyon Coleman, Sione Puoha, etc. the Jets rarely get push or penetration in the backfield resulting in limited negative plays.

Meanwhile if you watch a Tennessee Titans you can see why they rank in the top 5 in the league in rush defense. They get dominating play from their front 4 lead by Haynesworth. If the Jets can not address defensive tackle in the 2008 draft than Albert Haynesworth, despite his obvious character flaws, should be amongst their highest targets.